Transcript:

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood and The Rape Crisis Service. Can I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to see if you guys do abortions there.

CLINIC: We do. Would you like to talk to someone about one?

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right.

(Phone ringing 1x)

CLINIC: Good morning, Planned Parenthood. May I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to ask some questions about getting an abortion.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: How much does it cost?

CLINIC: Roughly somewhere around $460. By the time everything is said and done, you’re probably looking at about 500.

CALLER: Okay. The thing is, I’m going to be 14 later on this month, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Could he just take care of all of it, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: We don’t have to tell anybody. We do not have — New York State law — okay, let me go back first a little bit with you. New York State law guarantees the right for any women, regardless of age, to access reproductive health without parental consent. So by that I mean, regardless of your age — you’re 14 years old — you can access health care, that includes terminating a pregnancy, without parental consent.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So you do not need your parents’ knowledge or their consent to terminate this pregnancy. I mean, I would definitely recommend it, but you’re uncomfortable with it for a number of reasons — if you really don’t feel comfortable going to your mom regarding that, then it is your right as someone who is engaging in sexual intercourse and as a woman in New York State to access health care.

CALLER: Okay. Well, my boyfriend and me were talking about this a whole bunch, and we don’t want anyone to know about us. But if he was paying cash for everything, would he have to sign any papers or fill out any forms?

CLINIC: Nope.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Now my question is this. Is the relationship between you and your boyfriend consensual?

CALLER: Yeah. I mean, we’re in love. We’re going to get married. He said he would take care of me for the rest of my life.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, the rest of your life is a long time, okay? Just so you know. So my advice to you — and I’m going to sound like your mom — is finish school first before you get married.

CALLER: Well, yeah. I mean, he’s in school too. That’s why we can’t have a baby right now. I mean, he’s already got a son from his previous marriage. But he has to finish school and all that stuff. But he’ll be done by the time he’s 25.

CLINIC: Are you on birth control?

CALLER: No. I was wanting to get that too. That was another one of my questions.

CLINIC: Yeah. It would be probably very advisable, okay? Especially since you’re still in school and obviously want to finish, and he’s in school and he needs to finish. Then the two of you need to put your heads together and get on some birth control so you’re protected for any further pregnancies until you to get married and decide to start a family. Okay?

CALLER: Well, I haven’t had a period since January 3rd. Would you guys do — I haven’t done a pregnancy test yet though. Would you guys do that before that?

CLINIC: Yes, we would. We have to confirm the pregnancy, hon, before we would do any type of procedure whatsoever. Let’s see. You are then approximately nine weeks pregnant. We do terminations until 12 weeks, so you don’t have a whole lot of time to play with.

CALLER: Okay. Well, do you think that there might be any way that I’m not pregnant?

CLINIC: There is really no way of knowing until you take a pregnancy test. So I guess if it would ease your mind, then I would have your boyfriend pick up an over-the-counter pregnancy test, like an at-home pregnancy test and do that, because they’re very accurate once you miss a period.

CALLER: Oh, they are?

CLINIC: Oh, yeah, extremely accurate once you miss a period, okay? So that would probably give you the answer that you’re looking for, whether or not you are or you are not, okay? My guess is that you are. And if does come back as positive — or if you want to skip that all together and just come in here and do the pregnancy test and get the ball rolling. If you are pregnant, you would then go through what they call options counseling which you sit down with a counselor and she lets you know what is available to you. Then you have to have a vaginal ultra sound to date the pregnancy. It’s just basically that we want to make sure the pregnancy is actually in your uterus and just see how far along you are. Because by last menstrual period it’s kind of guesstimation. And then we do your blood work. As long as everything was paid for in full, then we would go ahead and schedule you to come in for the actual termination.

CALLER: Okay. Well, my boyfriend works all day and goes to school at night. Do you have any weekend hours?

CLINIC: Unfortunately we do not. Pretty much we are strictly Monday through Friday for the work-up visit. And I believe we have Monday appointments, Tuesday appointments, I want to say Wednesday and Friday, but they’re all during the day. Okay?

CALLER: When do you have hours to do the pregnancy test?

CLINIC: We could do that — I have to close a bunch of stuff on my computer, so hang on a second. I have a Monday morning appointment at 9:45, a 4:30 in the afternoon.

CALLER: How long would it take?

CLINIC: Oh, maybe about an hour.

CALLER: Okay. Well, I would have to call my boyfriend to see.

CLINIC: That would be fine. Why don’t you give us a call back, honey, okay?

CALLER: Well, I just really need to know for sure that you wouldn’t tell anybody about any of this.

CLINIC: Nope. Everything here is strictly confidential. You are the person that is making your appointment. You are the only person we disclose any information to. So say your mom were to get wind of this and call to try to find some information about you, we would be unable to give her any information.

CALLER: If I had any other questions — I’m just really confused. I don’t know. But if I thought of anything else to ask, could I call and talk to you? What was your name?

CLINIC: My name is Lisa, honey.

CALLER: All right .

CLINIC: Okay. And your name?

CALLER: It’s Lisa too.

CLINIC: It’s also Lisa?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay, Lisa. And what number did you call me in on?

CALLER: I’m at my friend’s house.

CLINIC: Did you call the 800 number?

CALLER: I called the 716-546-2595 number.

CLINIC: Okay. Do you have a pen near you?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: I want you to jot down this number as well, okay?

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: It’s 1-866-600-6886. That’s a toll free 800 line that comes directly into this office where I work. So you can use that number if you’re worried about anybody looking at phone numbers or anything because it’s just an 800 number.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So there won’t be any charges or anything, okay?

CALLER: Okay. Thank you.

CLINIC: You’re welcome, Lisa.

CALLER: Bye.

CLINIC: Bye bye now, honey.

***END***

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